Argentina football star Lionel Messi on Sunday bid farewell to his father, Jorge Messi, who died at the age of 68 after reportedly battling cancer.
Jorge was a key figure throughout Messi’s football career, serving as his first coach and later becoming his agent, negotiating his contracts from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Miami.
Messi arrived in Argentina from Miami late on Saturday aboard a private flight, accompanied by his wife, Antonela Roccuzzo, and their children.
A private funeral ceremony attended by close family members and some of Messi’s Argentina teammates was held on Sunday at the El Prado cemetery in Perez, near Rosario.
Fans gathered outside the cemetery to offer messages of support to the football icon and his family. Among the messages displayed at the entrance were, “Stay strong, Leo, we love you” and “Stay strong, Messi family.”
Messi’s teammates also rallied around him following the announcement of his father’s death.
Inter Miami and Argentina midfielder Rodrigo De Paul, a close friend of Messi, travelled to Argentina after featuring for Inter Miami against Monterrey on Saturday.
De Paul scored in the 2-1 defeat before removing his shirt to reveal a Messi number 10 jersey as a tribute to his teammate.
Fans also travelled long distances to show their support for Messi. A 15-year-old fan, Lucas Blanco, placed a “Stay strong, Messi” message at the cemetery gate.
“He has brought so much joy to this country, now it’s our turn to give a little back and offer him some comfort,” Blanco said.
Jorge Messi’s cause of death was not officially disclosed, although local media reported that he had been battling cancer.
His absence during the 2026 World Cup in June had raised concerns, with Messi’s family appealing to the media for privacy and “humanity” amid reports about his health.
Messi later revealed that he was dealing with “a situation outside of sports” during the tournament.
After Argentina’s World Cup final defeat to Spain, the 39-year-old returned to Rosario to spend time with his family.
Humble Beginnings
Jorge Messi played a major role in shaping his son’s football career from childhood.
A metalworker in Rosario, Jorge managed youth teams at Grandoli, a local football club where he introduced Lionel to the game at the age of four.
In 2000, when Barcelona invited the then-13-year-old Messi to Spain to continue treatment for a growth hormone deficiency while joining the club’s youth academy, Jorge left his job and other members of his family in Argentina to accompany his son.
Reflecting on those early years in Barcelona, Messi once said he and his father would secretly cry in their rooms while pretending to each other that everything was fine.
Jorge later became his son’s agent and played a major role in negotiating his professional contracts, including his moves from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain and later Inter Miami.
Tributes have continued to pour in from across the football world following his death, including from clubs Messi has represented and the Spanish Football Federation.
The Argentine Football Association also ordered a minute’s silence before matches and instructed teams across all age groups to wear black armbands during the week in honour of Jorge Messi.
